OVERVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 2
Lesson Learning Goals At the end of this lesson you should be able
to:
� Flow-chart the overall environmental impact assessment (EIA) process and describe step-by-step assessment procedures
� Define, and illustrate with examples, key terminology used in EIA
� Describe, with examples, methods for identifying environmental impacts and their significance
� Identify common shortcomings concerning the application of EIA in practice
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 3
The Environmental Impact Assessment Process
Major steps in the EIA process are:
� Screening
� Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
� Scoping
� Full-Scale Assessment
� EIA Review and Decision Making
� Monitoring and Follow-Up
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 4
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full-Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review
Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 5
Screening
� It would be time consuming and a waste of resources for all proposed projects and activities to undergo EIA
� Not all development projects require an EIA, as some projects may not pose an environmental threat
� Screening is the process used to determine whether a proposed project or activity requires an EIA and, if so, what level of environmental review is necessary
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 6
Purpose
� Identify those projects or activities that may cause potential significant impacts
� Identify special conditions/analyses that may be required by international funding bodies
� Categorize the project as one where: » Full-Scale EIA required
» Some further environmental analysis required
» No further environmental analysis required
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 7
Typical Proposals Requiring Full-Scale EIA
� Infrastructure projects
� Large-scale industrial activities
� Resource extractive industries and activities
� Waste management and disposal
� Substantial changes in farming or fishing practices
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 8
Screening Techniques
� Assessor or decision-maker discretion
� Project lists with thresholds and triggers
� Exclusion project lists
� Preliminary or initial EIAs
� Combination of these techniques
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 9
Screening Criteria
Screening criteria typically consider:
� Project type, location, size (e.g., capital investment, number of people affected, project capacity, areal extent)
� Receiving environment characteristics
� Strength of community opinion
� Confidence in prediction of impacts
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 10
Project Location
Requirements for screening:
� The screening checklist should include a section on site location characteristics, including, at a minimum, the four categories of environmentally critical areas:
» National Parks
» Indigenous people’s area
» Tourist area
» Ecologically sensitive area
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 11
Project Location (Cont’d)
� Site selection defines the location of the study area and the specific environmental resource base to be examined
� Often the single most important factor contributing to a project’s potential negative impacts
� Regional development plans should be used as guides to select project locations where environmental conditions will be minimally impacted
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 12
Type of Project
1. Infrastructure
• Commercial Airport
• Mass Transit System • Hotel or Resort
Threshold Scale
All
All > 80 Rooms
Location
- -
4 Critical Areas
2. Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Dam or Reservoir • Irrigation
>100 million cu. m.
> 15 sq. km.
Example Project Screening Criteria from Thailand
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 13
Example Project Screening Criteria from Thailand (Cont’d)
Type of Project Threshold Scale Location
3. Industrial and Power
• Petrochemical Industry • Oil Refinery
• Chlor-Alkaline Industry
• Natural Gas Separation • Iron/Steel
• Cement Industry • Smelting
• Pulp Industry
• Industrial Estates • Thermal Power Plants
• Mining
> 100 tons/day (raw material)
All All
100 tons/day (output)
100 tons/day, batch All
> 50 tons/day > 50 tons/day
All
> 10 megawatts All
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Screening Categories
All Projects
Category A
Projects that typically require an
EIA study
Category C
Projects that typically do not
require an IEE
Category B
Projects that typically require
only an IEE
Examples:
• Forestry Research &
Extension •Rural Health Services
•Marine Sciences
Education
Examples: • Forest Industries
•Water Impoundment • Industries
Examples:
•Renewable Energy
•Aquaculture • Tourism Development
• Infrastructure
Rehabilitation
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 15
World Bank Screening Categories
Category A: An EIA is typically required
Category B: An IEE is usually sufficient
Category C: Typically no environmental review
is required
Category D: Environmental Projects
Environmental review
required, but may be incorporated in
feasibility study
ALL PROJECTS
Prepare the work plan for the initial
environmental examination (IEE)
Project type on project
screening checklist?
Get specific IAA
requirements
Project scale above the
screening threshold? Project located in a critical
area?
IAA funding, or any other special
circumstances?
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
No initial
environmental
examination
required (IEE)
YES
Project Screening Flow Chart Project Screening Flow Chart
Will the project be funded by
an IAA?
YES
YES
NO
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 17
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full-Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review
Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 18
Initial environmental examination (IEE) is intended as a low-cost environmental evaluation that makes use of information already available
Initial Environmental Examination
Initial Environmental Examination
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 19
Purpose of IEE
� Describes the proposed project or activity and examines alternatives
� Identifies and addresses community concerns to extent possible
� Identifies and assesses potential environmental effects
� Directs future action
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 20
Objectives of IEE
� Identify all potential environmental concerns relating to a proposed project or activity
� Identify all significant environmental issues (SEIs)
� Resolve simple SEIs
� Develop the focus for follow-up studies based on unresolved SEIs
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 21
Possible IEE Outcomes 1. No requirement for further environmental
study; proposal not anticipated to have significant impact
2. Limited environmental study needed; environmental impacts are known and can be easily mitigated
3. Full-scale EIA required; impacts unknown or likely to be significant
IEE in the Overall EIA Process
Project Screening Identifies
projects that typically contain
potential significant
issues
Initial Environmental Examination
1. Identifies potential significant environmental issues associated with a
project
2. Grades effects and identifies actual Significant Environmental Issues
(SEIs) 3. Resolves simple SEIs
4. Recommends further action for
resolving outstanding SEIs
Full-Scale EIA or Other Additional Study
Resolves any remaining significant environmental issues
IEE Flow Chart
1. Identify Potential Significant Environmental Issues
2. Obtain Information
3. Effects Classification/ Identification of Significant
Environmental Issues (SEIs)
4. Resolve SEIs Where Possible (Review Alternatives/Develop
Environmental Management Plans
and Protection Measures)
The IEE makes recommendations for
further study:
Full-Scale EIA
IEE is the final EIA Report, including:
1. SEIs 2. EPM
3. EMP
5. Are all SEIs resolved?
YES NO
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 24
Identification of Potential Significant Issues
1. Identify valued environmental/ecosystem components (VECs)
» Professional judgement/past experience
» Legislative requirements
» Stakeholder and community values
2. Identify the potential for impacts to each VEC
3. Identify potential for cumulative impacts (i.e.,to the site as a whole and to the region)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 25
� Natural physical resources (e.g., surface and groundwater, air, climate, soil)
� Natural biological resources (e.g., forests, wetlands, river and lake ecology)
� Economic development resources (e.g., agriculture, industry, infrastructure, tourism)
� Quality of life (e.g., public health, socio-economic, cultural, aesthetics)
� National commitments (e.g., endangered species protection)
Commonly Considered VECs
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 26
Methods for Identifying Potential Impacts to VECs
� Matrices » Sectoral
» Project type
� Checklists
� Professional expertise and experience with similar project types
� Combination of techniques
Sectoral Matrix Example Sectoral Matrix Example
Ports and Harbours
Airports
Rapid Transit
Highways
Oil/Gas Pipelines
Development
Projects
Valued Env.
Component
(VEC)
Insignificant Impact Significant Impact Moderate - Significant Impact
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 28
Project Checklist Example Project Checklist Example
Potential Damages: Actions Affecting Resources and Values:
1. Disruption of Hydrology
2. Resettlement
3. Encroachment on Precious
Ecology
4. Encroachment on Historic/
Cultural Values
5. Cooling Tower Obstruction
6. Regional Flooding Hazard
7. Waste Emissions Related to
Siting
1. Impairment of Other Beneficial
Water Uses
2. Social Inequities
3. Loss of these Values
4. Loss of these Values
5. Conflicts with Other Beneficial
Water Uses
6. Hazard to Plant Operations
7. Intensification of Problems of
Pollution Control
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 29
Considerations in Determining Potential Effects
� Impacts to: » individual VECs » entire site (i.e., impacts to all VECs
combined) » cumulative impacts to the area (i.e.,
considering other existing and planned projects)
� Impacts from all phases of the project (i.e., construction, operation, decommissioning)
� Impacts on different time-scales
� Impacts from different orders of impact
Orders of Impact Example
Loss of Fisheries Income
Social Tension and Poverty Intensified
Loss of Plain Fisheries
Dry Flood Plains
River Embankment
First Order
Second Order
Third Order
Fourth Order
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 31
Data Requirements � Project
»Type »Size »Location
� Area of potential impact »Physical resources »Biological resources »Economic development resources »Quality of life »Other existing and planned projects
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 32
Sources of Information
� Existing reports on environmental resources in the area
� Previous assessment reports » IEE and EIA reports on similar project types
» Reports on other projects in the region that may cause similar disturbances
� Regional planning, policy and other reports
� Field studies
� Local citizens and traditional knowledge
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 33
Effects Classification
Effects vary in significance, depending on their:
� Nature: positive, negative, direct, indirect, cumulative, synergistic
� Magnitude
� Extent/location: area/volume covered, distribution
� Timing: during construction, operation, decommissioning, immediate, delayed, rate of change
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 34
Effects Classification (Cont’d)
� Duration: short-term, long-term, intermittent, continuous
� Reversibility/irreversibility
� Likelihood: risk, uncertainty or confidence in the prediction
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 35
Criteria for Evaluating Potential Effects
� Importance of affected resource
� Magnitude and extent of disturbance
� Duration and frequency
� Risk/likelihood of occurrence
� Reversibility
� Contribution to cumulative impacts
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 36
Options for Addressing SEIs
1. Resolve SEIs within IEE
» Number of different strategies for addressing SEIs
» Strategies chosen will depend on the number, type, and significance of identified SEIs
2. Identify need for future studies to address SEIs (e.g., full-scale EIA or other detailed studies)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 37
Possible Strategies for Resolving SEIs Within the IEE
� Re-evaluate regional plans (e.g., to address cumulative impacts with other planned projects)
� Review project options (i.e., alternatives and modifications)
� Evaluate site mitigation strategies; including compensation strategies
� Likely will use a combination of strategies
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 38
Examples of Project Alternatives
� No-build alternative
� Demand alternatives (e.g., using existing energy capacity more efficiency rather than building more capacity)
� Activity alternatives (e.g., providing public transport rather than increasing road capacity)
� Location alternatives
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 39
More Examples of Project Alternatives
� Process alternatives (e.g., re-use of process water, reducing waste, different logging methods)
� Scheduling alternatives (e.g., timing of project construction)
� Input alternatives (e.g., use of different raw materials or sources of energy)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 40
Effects Significance Grading
No effect
Insignificant effect
Unknown significant effect
Significant effect, resolution is within the scope of the IEE
Significant effect, resolution is outside the scope of the IEE
Increasing Severity
Issues with: No Effect
Issues with: Insignificant Effect
Issues with: Unknown
Significant Effect
Issues with: Significant Effects
within the Scope of the IEE
Where To from Here?
Issues with: Significant Effects
outside the Scope of the IEE
No Further Action
Required: Write up
findings in brief
IEE
Write up findings and
recommendations in IEE
report
Action
Required:
Develop the
Environmental
Management Plan &
Protection Measures
to Resolve Issues
Action Required:
Identify Information
Needs and Tasks
Required to Resolve
Outstanding Issues
In Additional Studies
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 42
Example IEE Report Contents
1. Description of the Project
2. Description of the Environment
3. Screening of Potential Environmental Issues and Rationale for their Significance Grading
4. Environmental Protection Measures
5. Environmental Monitoring and Institutional Requirements
6. Recommendations for Additional Studies
7. Conclusions
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 43
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full-Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review
Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
Terms of Reference Context
IEE
Project
Proceeds
according to
terms of IEE
Terms of Reference 1. Background 2. Impact Issues
Significant Issues Relevant Resources
Report Formatting
3. Work Plan When/Who/How of Task Completion
Full-Scale
EIA
Yes
No
IEE Review:
All potential
SEIs resolved
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 45
Scoping
� A process of interaction between government agencies and project proponents
� Identifies: » spatial and temporal boundaries for the EIA
» important issues and concern
» information necessary for decision making
» significant effects and factors to be considered � Establishes Terms of Reference for full-scale EIA
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 46
Importance of Scoping
� Serves to facilitate efficient EIA by identifying appropriate areas for consideration (e.g, key issues, concerns, alternatives)
� Reduces likelihood of deficiencies in EIA (e.g., ensures that important issues are not overlooked)
� Prevents unnecessary expenditures and time delays from oversights or unnecessary areas of study
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 47
Terms of Reference Content
Background information section should include:
� Project Description (i.e., type, magnitude, location, alternatives and constraints)
� Environmental Setting (i.e., delineation of study area, listing of environmental resources and sensitive or special value areas)
� Background Reports (e.g., aspects of the environmental setting, previous projects with relevant impacts or resources)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 48
Terms of Reference Content (Cont’d)
Specific EIA requirements typically include:
� EIA objectives
� Institutional context (i.e., legal and policy requirements)
� Significant issues of concern (SEIs)
� Required information and data, methodologies for impact assessment
� Process for incorporating public input
Work Plan Example Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Detailed Task Assignment
1. Waterlogging and Soil Salinity
2. Field Data: Collate, Fill Gaps, Organize
3. Models: Review, Verify, Reconcile
4. Drainage: Develop Final Criteria,
Perform Design
5. Compile Report
6. Land Acquisition and Resettlement
7. Project Proponent Document: Review
and Verify
8. Environmental Impact
9. Social Impact and Equity
10. Public Participation
11. Monitoring and Evaluation
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 50
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full-Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review
Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 51
EIA in the Project Cycle
Reconnaissance Survey
Pre-feasibility Study
Feasibility Study
Final Design
Construction
Operation
Conventional Project
Planning
Monitoring Operations and Environmental Effects
Corresponding Environmental
Protection Activity
Initial Environmental
Examination
Environmental Impact
Assessment
Checking Design
Monitoring Construction
Project
Screening
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 52
Evaluate the IEE’s Treatment of Significant Issues
Identify Information Gaps Review Impact Pathways
Conduct Field Research
Conduct Public Participation
Perform Impact Prediction
Perform Risk Assessment
Evaluate Economic Impacts Review Applicable Standards
Design Environmental Protection Measures
Prepare Environmental Management Plan
Design Monitoring Program
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 53
Full-Scale EIA Overview
� Input = Outstanding SEIs from IEE
� Assessment phase:
» Qualitative/quantitative analysis of SEI
» SEI impact significance
� Mitigation development phase:
» Select appropriate mitigation measures
» Residual impact significance
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 54
EIA Impact Identification Methods
�C
hecklis
ts
�M
atric
es
�N
etw
ork
s
�O
verlays
/GIS
�Exp
ert S
yste
ms
�R
isk
Assessm
ent
Qualitative Quantitative
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 55
Selection of Appropriate Methods
� Type and size of proposal
� Type of alternatives being assessed
� Nature of likely impacts
� Experience using EIA methods
� Resources available
� Nature of public involvement
� Procedural/administrative requirements
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 56
Checklists
ADVANTAGES
� Simple to understand and use
� Good for site selection and priority setting
DISADVANTAGES
� Do not distinguish between direct and indirect impacts
� Do not link action and impact
� Qualitative
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 57
Matrices
ADVANTAGES
� Link action to impact
� Good method for displaying EIA results
DISADVANTAGES
� Difficult to distinguish direct and indirect impacts
� Significant potential for double-counting of impacts
� Qualitative
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 58
Networks
ADVANTAGES
� Link action to impact
� Useful in simplified form in checking for second order impacts
� Handles direct and indirect impacts
DISADVANTAGES
� Can become overly complex if used beyond simplified version
� Qualitative
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 59
Overlays
ADVANTAGES
� Easy to understand and use
� Good display method
� Good for site selection setting
DISADVANTAGES
� Address only direct impacts
� Do not address impact duration or probability
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 60
Expert Systems
ADVANTAGES
� Excellent for impact identification and analysis
� Good for experimenting
� Semi-quantitative to quantitative
DISADVANTAGES
� Heavy reliance on knowledge and data
� Often complex and expensive
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 61
Impact Significance Determination
Impact
Characteristics
(e.g., spatial extent)
Impact
Importance
(e.g., value)
x = Impact
Significance
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 62
Characteristics Affecting Impact Significance
� Nature of impact (e.g., positive, negative, synergistic)
� Extent and magnitude
� Timing (i.e., construction, operation, closure)
� Duration (i.e., short, chronic, intermittent)
� Reversibility/irreversibility
� Likelihood (i.e., probability, uncertainty)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 63
Some Criteria for Significance
� Importance: the value that is attached to the affected environmental component
� Extent of disturbance: the area expected to be impacted
� Duration and frequency of disturbance
� Reversibility
� Risk: probability of an unplanned incident caused by the project
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 64
Assessing Significance
� Considerable expert judgement and technical knowledge are often required to fully understand the nature and extent of environmental impacts
� Categories of significance include:
» no impact » unknown impact
» significant impact » mitigated impact
» insignificant impact
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 65
Guidelines for Assessing Significance
� Use rational and objective methods
� Provide consistency for comparison of project alternatives
� Document values and beliefs used in making judgement decisions
� Apply impact significance criteria, e.g., » Ecological importance/sustainability criteria
» Social importance
» Environmental standards
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 66
Ecological Importance
� Effect on plant and animal habitat
� Rare and endangered species
� Ecosystem resilience, sensitivity, biodiversity and carrying capacity
� Population viability
� Community viability
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 67
Social Importance
� Effects on human health and safety
� Potential loss of managed resources (e.g., fish, farmland, water)
� Recreation or aesthetic value
� Demands on public resources
� Demands on transportation or other infrastructure
� Demographic effects
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 68
Environmental Standards
� Permit-based limits on effluent discharge concentrations
� Clean air standards, water quality standards
� Plans or policies that protect or limit use of natural resources
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 69
Impact Mitigation
Evaluate
Environmental
Impacts
Design Environmental
Protection Measures
Review
Applicable
Standards
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 70
Mitigation Development Develop Alternative
Environmental
Protection Measures
Evaluate
Implementation
Costs
Assess
Environmental
Effectiveness
Select Final
Environmental
Protection Measures
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 71
Understand the Problem
� What is the problem?
� When will the problem occur?
� When should the problem be addressed?
� Where should the problem be addressed?
� How should the problem be addressed?
� Who stands to lose or gain?
Good understanding of problems is critical to development of effective mitigation measures
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 72
Mitigation Options
� Alternative ways of meeting society’s need for the project
� Changes in project planning and design
� Improving monitoring and management
� Monetary compensation
� Replacing, relocating, rehabilitating
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 73
Environmental Management Plan
� Mitigation measures chosen are documented as part of the EMP which specifies how they are to be carried out: » State policy and standards
» Designate responsibility
» Provide schedule for tasks
» Allocate responsibility for tasks
» Include system for progress reporting
» Include system for monitoring/auditing
» Develop a contingency plan
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 74
EIA Reporting
Variations in titles but all the same content:
� Environmental Impact Assessment report (EIA report)
� Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
� Environmental Assessment report (EA report)
� Environmental Effects Statement (EES)
� Local usage; often shortened to just EIA
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 75
Effective Reporting
� Assists the project proponent to plan (e.g., changes to the project design or scheduling recommended as mitigation measures)
� Assists decision makers in deciding whether to approve or reject proposal, and if approved with what conditions
� Helps the public to understand core issues of concern
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 76
EIA Report Contents
� Executive summary
� Objectives of the proposal
� Description of proposal and alternatives
� Relationship to current land use policies
� Description of expected conditions
� Evaluation of impacts for each alternative
� Mitigation and monitoring plans
� Appendices
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 77
Executive Summary
� Definition: A well written stand-alone document which contains the information necessary for the reader to understand the critical environmental issues and how the issues are to be addressed and resolved
� Audience: targeted at decision makers and international funding bodies
� Special Requirements: international funding bodies often require executive summaries to be submitted in English
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 78
Executive Summary (Cont’d)
What the executive summary MUST contain:
� a summary of impacts for each SEI
� background information including base maps
� offsetting, enhancement, and mitigation measures for minimizing negative impacts
� recommendations and conclusions
� summary of the environmental management plan
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 79
Project Information � Status of project
� Planning, design and implementation strategies
� Requirements for materials, water, energy, equipment
� Planned processes and products
� Visual aids (e.g., maps)
� Options (e.g., siting, layout)
� Summary of technical, economic and environmental features
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 80
Evaluating Impacts for Each Alternative
� Assessment of impacts
� Data and predictive methods used
� Uncertainty and gaps in knowledge
� Compliance with standards
� Criteria used to assess significance
� Proposed impact avoidance or mitigation measures
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 81
Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans
� Describe proposed mitigation measures
� Contain schedule for implementation
� Assign responsibility for implementation
� Detail a monitoring program
� Detail proposed reporting and review procedures
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 82
Appendices
� Technical information
� Glossary and Acronyms
� Public involvement summary
� Information sources/references
� Details of study team
� Terms of Reference
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 83
Common Reporting Shortcomings
� Object of activity described too narrowly
� Incomplete description of activity
� Alternatives do not account for the environment
� Key problems not described
� Sensitive environment aspects overlooked
� Standards and legislation are not described or alternatives do not comply with them
� Some mitigating measures not considered
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 84
Common Reporting Shortcomings (Cont’d)
� Best alternative not described or described insufficiently
� Serious impacts are not mentioned or not correctly described
� Outdated or ineffective prediction models used
� Impacts are not compared with standards or targets
� Incorrect conclusions drawn
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 85
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full-Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review
Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 86
EIA Review
Determines whether the EIA report is an adequate assessment of
environmental concerns and is of sufficient relevance and quality for
decision making
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 87
EIA Review Objectives
� Determine whether EIA report provides an adequate assessment
� Collects range of stakeholder opinion regarding the acceptability of the EIA report and of the proposed project or activity based on the EIA findings
� Ensures EIA compliance with established procedures (e.g., Terms of Reference, existing plans and policies)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 88
Critical Areas of Review � Compliance with the Terms of Reference � Examination of alternatives, environmental
setting, impact analysis, mitigation, and impact management and monitoring
� Sufficiency and accuracy of information � Use of scientifically-defensible analytical
techniques � Conduct of the EIA; completeness and
comprehensiveness of the assessment process
� Sufficiency of information provided for decision-making purposes
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 89
Review Methods
� General statistics
� Project specific checklists
� Ad hoc processes
� Expert opinion by accredited reviewers
� Public review
� Panels of inquiry, independent commissions
� Legal approaches
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 90
Review Step-by-Step
� Set the intensity of the review (e.g., scale and depth)
� Select review methods and identify review criteria; make sure to include public input
� Select reviewers
� Conduct the review
� Determine remedial options
� Publish review report
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 91
Decision Making
� EIA is an ongoing process of review, negotiation and incremental decision making
� Ultimately, an administrative or political decision is made whether to proceed or not to proceed with a proposed project or activity
� Function of the EIA report is to provide objective assessment of issues to inform and facilitate the decision-making process
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 92
Requirements for Decision Makers
Decision makers need an understanding of:
� Principles and practices of sustainable development
� EIA aims, concepts and processes
� EIA guidelines, policy, law and conventions
� EIA implementation within the decision-making agency or organization
� Public involvement processes
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 93
Decision-Making Inputs
Technical
Analysis
(e.g., physical,
ecological,
socio-economic,
other) Decision
Making
prioritizing
problems and actions, ensuring
effective
implementation
EIA
Public
Involvement
Other Input (e.g., benefit-cost
analysis,
political priorities)
Facts/
Values
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 94
Possible Decision Outcomes
� Approval
� Approval with conditions
� Approval subject to ongoing investigation
� Further investigation required
� Request for a supplementary, or new, EIA report
� Rejection
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 95
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 96
Environmental Monitoring and Performance Assessment
Goal
Specific Objectives
Monitoring Monitoring Requirements Environmental Issues
Performance Assessment
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 97
Monitoring and Performance Assessment Goal
Demonstrate to governments and the public that the project or activity complies with the environmental
quality objectives determined through the EIA process and achieves good
environmental performance
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 98
Specific Objectives
� Detect short- and long-term trends
� Recognize environmental changes and analyze causes
� Measure impacts and compare with predicted impacts
� Assess effectiveness of mitigation measures
� Improve the monitoring system
� Improve practices and procedures for environmental assessment
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 99
Performance Assessment
From monitoring program:
� identify trends, causes and impacts
� assess performance and compliance
From the assessment:
� modify practices and procedures for environmental protection
� modify monitoring program
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 100
Post-EIA Monitoring Report
PROJECT PHASE
FINAL DESIGN STAGE
CONSTRUCTION STAGE
PROJECT ACCEPTANCE
OPERATIONS STAGE
MONITORING ACTIVITY A. INCORPORATION OF EPMs IN THE FINAL PROJECT DESIGN
B. INCORPORATION OF EPMs INTO CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS
C. COMPLETION OF OPERATIONS MANUAL
A. ENVIRONMENT CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR B. SCHEDULED REPORTS FROM SUPERVISOR
C. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SPOT CHECKS
ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERVISOR PERFORMANCE
THE THREE PARTIES : ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR, PROJECT PROPONENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY; SIGN A STATEMENT THAT THE PROJECT
MEETS EIA REQUIREMENTS
A. PERFORMANCE MONITORING B. PERFORMANCE REPORTING
C. FOLLOW-UP ACTION, IF REQUIRED
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 101
Screening Initial Environmental
Examination (IEE)
EIA Not
Required
EIA
Required
Monitoring EIA Audit and
Evaluation
IEE
Review
Scoping/
Terms of
Reference
Full-Scale
EIA
Evaluate
Options
EIA Not
Approved
EIA
Review
Decision
Making
EIA
Approved
You are here
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 102
EIA Audit
EIA audits are a management tool to:
� Determine impacts
� Check that conditions arising from EIA are being met
� Test accuracy of EIA predictions
� Identify areas where EIA could have been improved
� Compile lessons learned for future EIAs
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 103
Concluding Thoughts
Important points to remember are:
� EIA is a process which should have influence at many stages and over a considerable period of time; it is not an activity aimed at producing a single set of results for use at one specific decision-making stage
� The EIA process should be iterative and adaptive; scoping and assessment should continually evolve throughout the entire process as more information becomes known (i.e., circular process)
EIA Procedures and Decision Making 104
Concluding Thoughts (Cont’d)
Additional points to remember are:
� The EIA process needs to be inclusive and transparent
� The process should not be seen as an administrative task; EIA is a powerful management tool to be used to make informed and justifiable decisions
� Follow-up to review development results is essential to continually improve and strengthen the EIA process